The present disclosure relates to toners, electrophotographic apparatuses for using such toners as well as processes for making such toners.
Toner blends containing crystalline or semi-crystalline polyester resins with an amorphous resin have been recently shown to provide very desirable ultra low melt fusing, which is important for both high-speed printing and lower fuser power consumption. These types of toners containing crystalline polyesters have been demonstrated suitable for both emulsion aggregation (EA) toners, and in conventional jetted toners. Combinations of amorphous and crystalline polyesters may provide toners with relatively low-melting point characteristics (sometimes referred to as low-melt, ultra low melt or ULM), which allows for more energy efficient and faster printing.
Toners may include various additives that control the level of gloss of the printed document. There are limited options for varying the degree of gloss of electrophotographic printing on an individual basis. The desired level of gloss varies based on the applications, markets, and substrates. Most of the options in adjusting the level of gloss are hardware-related, such as adjusting the fuser speed and/or fuser roll temperature. This approach may have limitations. For example, lower speeds impact productivity, while increasing fuser roll temperature, which reduces fuser roll life, in addition, there is a risk of poor adhesion of toner to the paper (e.g., while printing matte at lower temperatures and faster speeds) or toner adhering to the fuser roll (e.g., while printing glossy at higher temperatures and lower speeds). Improved methods for producing totters which are suitable for use in creating documents of varying gloss remain desirable.